Gunsmoke (1955–1975): Season 1, Episode 13 - Reed Survives - full transcript

ANNOUNCER:

Starring James Arness
as Matt Dillon.

There's a trail that leads from
Dodge up here to Boot Hill.

Not many people travel
it by choice,

because it stops right here.

Most of the men lying here

thought they were
heading somewhere else.

But this is where they ended
for all their trouble.

I know. I'm Matt Dillon,
U.S. marshal.

Part of my job is to steer 'em
away from here.

To keep 'em from a useless,
violent end.



But now and then, there's one
who won't listen.

And more often than not,
he's buried out here,

alone and forgotten.

? You got them big eyes ?

? You got y... ?

Huh.

I'll bet you don't know
who I saw

drive into town this evening?

Hm.
Eh.

It was Miss Lucy.

You know, that-

That girl that old Ephraim Hunt

married last winter?

Used to work over
at the Long Branch.



Mrs. Lucy Hunt,
her name is now.

Heh. You remember.

Yeah, yeah, I-
I remember, Chester.

I haven't seen her
in a coon's age.

I- I guess old Ephraim
rides pretty close herd on her.

I never could figure out
why she married him.

I...

Talk about
June and December. Heh.

You reckon it was, uh,
because of his money?

I don't know, Chester.

Mrs. Lucy. Heh.

Well, I'll get the water.

How are you, Matt?

Mrs. Hunt.

Mrs. Hunt?

Used to be Lucy.

You didn't used to be married.

Does it make
that much difference?

Well, it does to some women.

Sit down Lucy,
I'll get you a cup of coffee.

I don't have much time.

I don't want Ephraim
to know I'm here.

What's on your mind?

Matt,

he's gonna kill me.

Ephraim?

It's true. He told me.

Everybody thinks he's so good,

studied to be
a preacher and all.

But he's not.

He's mean and cruel.

Now he's planning to kill me.

Well, why?
Does he have any reason?

Of course not.

What do you think I am?

What I think doesn't matter.

What does he think?

He knew where I worked
when he married me.

Now he keeps telling me
I'm evil.

That by marrying him,
I led him into sin.

And that now I have
to pay for it.

He accuses me of things.

Terrible, crazy things.

An- And they're not true, Matt.

They're all in his mind.

If he's got any mind left.

Well, do you want
to file charges against him?

Have him put
under a peace bond, locked up?

It's my word against his.

He'd be out in 12 hours.

He'd look sanctimonious
and quote some scripture,

and he'd be out.

People just can't forget

that I used to work
in a dance hall.

All right, Lucy.

I'll see what I can do.

If there's anything I can do.

Goodnight, Matt,

and thanks.

Thanks a lot.

Marshal.

Good to have you drop by.

How are you, Mr. Hunt?

Hot. Come inside.

The sun's a real killer today.

That it is.

Seed for my
next year's crop.

Hand picked.

Only way to better
the yield.

Sit down.

Here, have some applejack.

Take your mind off the heat.

Thank you.

Devil's brew it may be,

but it's a vast help
in banishing

the cares of the day.

Hell, a man like you shouldn't
have any cares, Mr. Hunt.

Rich farm, good health

and a good wife.

Care looks everywhere, marshal.

Man's brief joy
is dearly bought.

To your good fortune, sir.

Out this way on business?

No, just passing by.

Notice the length of the head,

and the fullness of the kernel.

Remarkable strain.

Yes, you should have
a good crop.

How's Mrs. Hunt?

Her health is excellent.

Her state of grace
is more uncertain.

Well, I hope
it's nothing serious.

A man has a duty
in this world, marshal:

to lend his strength to the
frail reeds of his household.

To support them against the
storms and strifes of living.

To see that they do not...

break.

Well, just so long
as they don't break.

That's not
my intention, marshal.

That a promise, Mr. Hunt?

You weren't just passing by,
were you?

She been to see you?

She was a little worried
about you.

She needs my protection,
marshal.

She needs a strong hand,

but a gentle one.

You mean that, don't you?.

Of course.

I love her very much.

Goodbye, Mr. Hunt.

Marshal.

Oh, and uh, thanks
for that devil's brew.

No, sir, Ed, no, sir.

You're all wrong about it.

I tell you, it wasn't the
Arkansas at all.

It happened way up north
on the Solomon.

Oh, Matt!

He'll tell you.

Matt, I want you to settle a
little argument here.

Old Ed, here, is-
I'll, uh-

I'll see you in a minute, Doc.

Oh, all right.

And you're gonna
be surprised when you-

Well, I can
tell you right now, you wrong.

Hello, Kitty.

Hello, Matt.

How is it you're so late?

Well, I've been out
to old Ephraim Hunt's place.

Hm. What's he been doing?

Giving you a sermon?

Tryin' to save you
from yourself, huh?

No, as a matter of fact,
he's trying to tell me how

to take care of a wife.

Oh, well, um...

would, uh, you like me
to take over where he left off?

I think we better sit down.

Anything on your mind, Matt?

Look, Kitty,

you used to know Lucy when she
worked here, didn't you?

Well?

Well, tell me about her.

What was she really like?

Oh, I don't know, Matt.

I didn't get
to know her very well.

None of us did.

She was kind of a strange kid.

Kept to herself
most of the time.

Why, what the matter?

Well, I don't know exactly,

but there's something wrong
out there someplace.

Hm.

Matt, have you talked
to Booth Rider?

Him?

Well, I've said hello to him a
couple of times in here.

Talk to him.

Well, that young kid,
what would he know about it?

He's been working
out at the Hunt place

for about a month now.

Why don't you talk to him?

All right, I will.

How are you, Booth?

Marshal.

Join me.
Thank you.

I understand you're working
for Mr. Hunt?

Mm-hmm.

How things going?

All right. I got a good job.

I like it fine here.

Understand old Ephraim's
a good man to work for.

He's all right.
I got no complaints.

Tell me, Booth:

How do you get along
with Mrs. Hunt?

Fine. Why?

Just wonderin'.

Something on your mind, marshal?

Maybe.

I reckon you better say it out.

It's a big world, Booth.

There's a lot of it
you haven't seen yet.

Why don't you go out
and look some of it over?

Some of those
big spreads up north,

or out west in the territories.

I kinda like it here.

Well, you've been
here a month now.

You've seen everything
there is to see.

There's no future for you here.

I reckon the future can keep.

I like things fine
just the way they are now.

Marshal, with a job like
I got here,

a man would be crazy
to pull out.

You might be crazier not to.

Think it over, Booth.

Booth.

Are you outta your mind?

It's all right.

He's out in the barn.

He bought a gun this afternoon.

He has it out there
with him now.

He's drinking.

He's going to kill us.

Both of us.

He told me so.

And what have you told him?

Nothing.

He doesn't know a thing.

But he's crazy and jealous,

and he'll do what he says.

You...

have to get that gun.

You've got to out there
and take it away from him.

That might take some doing.

You can do it,

because you've got a gun too.

If you don't face him
and get it over with,

he'll lay for you,

and shoot you in the back...

and then me.

He won't give us a chance.

You want us both dead?

Hm?

What are we gonna do,
Mr. Dillon?

We goin' on?

I guess so, Chester.

I don't know, I could
be dead wrong about this.

Well, just because
a man buys a gun,

don't prove
that he's planning a murder.

Well, that's right, Chester.

Let's go.

Over in the barn.

Easy, now.

Here, Chester.

Mr. Hunt.

Is that you, marshal?

Yeah, it's me.

Who did this to you?

Was it Booth Rider?

I admire you, marshal.

You have such

implicit faith in the law.

Good thing, I suppose.

But there's no law

to cover an old man
being a fool.

I've-

Ahhh.

Go back to town
and get Doc for me, Chester.

Yes, sir.

What are you gonna do?

I'm gonna carry the sad news
to the widow.

What were you doing
out there so long?

I thought you were-

I mean, I-

Who were you expecting?

I thought you were my husband.

I...

What are you doing here?

What is it, Matt? What's wrong?

You heard the shots, didn't you?

Ephraim, isn't it?

Who else would it be?

I don't know. I-

It's all right, it's Ephraim.

Right on schedule.

Congratulations, Mrs. Hunt.

What do you mean?

You thought it up, planned it

and carried it out.

You'll get away with it,
clean as a whistle.

I can't touch you.

What are you talking about?

Your husband's murder.

Heh. You're out of your mind.

I figured it out too late.

You were too smart for me.

You killed him
without touching a trigger.

You worked young Booth Rider
up to that with promises.

You're crazy.

You got old Ephraim
to buy a gun.

Probably dropped hints

that Booth wouldn't
leave you alone.

That he was dangerous, maybe.

Anyhow, you got him
to buy a gun.

You had to.

You knew Booth wouldn't shoot
an unarmed man.

You don't have any proof.
You're just guessing.

But I'm guessing right.

Well, not a word of it is true.

And if Booth Rider did shoot my
husband, as you claim,

then I think you'd better
be out looking for him.

He won't get far.

Matt.

I guess I'll
be leaving Dodge soon.

Good.

Matt, wait.

I don't care for Booth.

You should know that.

So he's next in line, huh?

He's a killer. You'd only
be doing your job if-

That's enough.

Matt, please.

Just don't say any more.

What are you grinnin' about?

Well, wouldn't you
like to know.

There are chairs all over here.

Do you have to sit right there,

Doc.
with your nose down in-?

Let's play.

I haven't got time to argue.
Time?

You haven't even got time
to play checkers.

There's killer out
on the loose.

You-
You ought to be out after him.

I'm workin' on it.

Yeah, well,
if you're workin' on it,

why haven't you got him?

Well...

I'll get him.

Your move.

I know it's my move.

You don't have to rush me.

He'll probably get away
scot-free.

Well, all I can do is bring him
in for questioning, you know.

Ephraim was wearin' a gun.

That's my man.

Well, I know it's your-

I can reach across him
if I want to.

Don't get so excited.

There.

Sure that's the move
you wanna make, huh?

I moved him, didn't I?

All right.

No, you don't.

No, you took your hand off.
That's a move.

All right,
go ahead and jump.

You bet I'll jump.

Hey, what-?

No.

Oh, go on and laugh.

How can anybody concentrate
on a checker game

with you sittin' there grinning
like a crazy hyena?

Well, let's go take him.

Take who?

Booth Rider.

Where is he?

He just came back
to Ephraim's place.

Tuso's been watchin' for me.

Well, he's liable to put up
a fight, ain't he, Matt?

Eh. He might.

Matt, it'll be, uh-
It'll be dark out there.

You won't be able to see him,
but he can see you.

Maybe.

Why didn't you shoot him?

Watch yourself, Chester.

Don't be a fool, Booth.

Come on outta there.

Booth?

Make it easy on yourself.

Throw down your gun.
Come on out.

I'm comin' up after you, boy.

That's a terrible place
to shoot people, Matt,

barns and stables.

Worst place in the world
for lockjaw.

How do you feel, Booth?

I'll make out.

How did you find me?

Well, I figured
you come back to Lucy

when things quieted down.

I had the place watched.

Oh.

She was just using me, marshal.
That's all it was.

She told me so
when I came back today.

Gave me two weeks wages
and told me to drift.

Well, now you know.

She laughed at me.

Called me a green kid.

I reckon she must have laughed
at him too.

Maybe called him an old man.

She hadn't ought to laughed.

She done that, it seemed
that my hands just moved

all by themselves.

What?

Yeah.

She's in there in the house.

I choked her to death.

Well, you'd have probably
got away with it clean too.

He did have a gun in his hand,

even if he didn't know how
to use it.

But not now.

They'll never let you
outta this.

You know that, don't you?

Yeah.

I reckon.

Funny thing, when you
think about it.

I was headin' up north

and I hit Dodge along
about sundown,

and I figured I'd lay
in just for the night.

I wasn't aimin' to stay here.

You weren't?

Not till I met
Mr. Hunt in the saloon

and he offered me this job.

I was just ridin' through.

Booth.

Yes, sir.

You should have kept on ridin'.